Folding Canopy

ABSTRACT

A folding canopy comprises pillars, the two adjacent pillars are connected by an intermediate folding unit, an upper portion of the pillar is hingedly connected with a spoke with flexural elasticity, upper ends of the spokes are converged toward and hingedly connected with a hub to form a top supporting frame, a runner capable of ascending upward and descending downward is disposed below the hub, ribs of a same number as the spokes are disposed between the runner and the spokes, a first end of the rib is hingedly connected with the spoke, a second end of the rib is converged toward and hingedly connected with the runner, a locking structure capable of locking the runner on the hub is disposed between the runner and the hub, and the second end is higher than the first end of the rib when the runner is locked by the snap-on locking structure.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to China Patent Application No. CN201820159014.1 filed Jan. 30, 2018 and CN201920088533.8 filed Jan. 18, 2019.

The applications and all patents, patent applications, articles, books, specifications, other publications, documents, and things referenced herein are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes. To the extent of any inconsistency or conflict in the definition or use of a term between any of the incorporated publications, documents, or things and the text of the present document, the definition or use of the term in the present document shall prevail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention

The present invention belongs to the technical field of machinery and relates to a folding canopy, and more particularly to a mobile folding canopy.

Related Art

Mobile folding canopy is used for temporary activities such as outdoor exhibition, product promotion and advertisement, celebration evening party, exhibition and trade fair, tourism and leisure, field work as well as singing and dance evening party. It can also be used as a long-term leisure facility in resort park area, tourist attraction, vacation resort and scenic spot. The folding canopy is unfolded during use, which is lightweight, durable and portable.

The main structure of mobile folding canopy is composed of lateral supporting frames formed by a plurality of pillars, and a top frame disposed on top of the lateral supporting frames. The top frame can be covered with a sunshade canvas or the top and the side portions can be covered with a sunshade canvas as needed. Compared with parasol, mobile folding canopy has a larger practical space, and there is a greater market demand for it.

At present, folding canopies are very inconvenient in unfolding and collapsing because of their large size, and often require one or two people to operate at the same time. For example, a mobile canopy has been disclosed, in which lateral supporting frames are formed by a plurality of pillars, folding units are connected between the pillars, a top frame is formed by spokes, the top frame is supported by struts connected to the pillars, and a locking structure is disposed on each of the pillars so that the struts can support the top frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a folding canopy to solve the above technical problem in the prior art. The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to achieve easy, convenient and labor-saving unfolding and collapsing of the folding canopy.

One object of one embodiment of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions: a folding canopy comprising at least three pillars, two adjacent pillars being connected by an intermediate folding unit to form a lateral supporting frame, an upper portion of each of the pillars being hingedly connected with a spoke, the spoke having flexural elasticity and the spoke comprising a first rod, a second rod, and a joint with a U-groove, an opening of the U-groove facing upward, and a second end of the first rod and a first end of the second rod being disposed in the U-groove of the joint and being hingedly connected with the joint; an upper end of each of the spokes being converged toward a hub and hingedly connected with the hub to form a top supporting frame, a runner capable of ascending upward and descending downward being disposed below the hub, ribs of a same number as the spokes being disposed between the runner and the spokes, a first end of each of the ribs being hingedly connected with one of the spokes, a second end of each of the ribs being converged toward the runner and being hingedly connected with the runner, a locking structure capable of locking the runner on the hub being disposed between the runner and the hub, wherein the second end of the rib is higher than the first end of the rib when the runner is locked by the snap-on locking structure.

In one embodiment of the folding canopy of the present invention, the pillars, the spokes and the ribs are in a folded state when the folding canopy is collapsed, and the hub and the runner are separated vertically when the spokes are folded. When the folding canopy needs to be unfolded, the runner is pushed upwardly by hands manually, as the runner continues to move upward, the runner drives the two rods of each of the spokes to unfold, and simultaneously, through the ribs, pushes the adjacent spokes to mutually separate and deploy, and the pillars connected with the spokes are also unfolded along with the spokes when the spokes are unfolded. Therefore, by pushing a single runner, the spokes and the pillars can be simultaneously unfolded, thereby realizing convenient operation by a single person. Since the unfolding of the spokes and the pillars is achieved by one person, it is very convenient and labor-saving.

During the ascent of the runner, the ribs are pushed to be disposed horizontally, that is, the first end and the second end of each of the ribs are in a horizontal state, in that state the spokes are in a critical state and cannot be further unfolded outwardly. The spokes have a certain flexible deformation due to their long length, which can produce slight flexural elasticity, and the spoke is formed by hingedly connecting the two rods, which also provide a certain slight deformation displacement. Therefore, when pushing the runner to continue to move upward, after the first ends of the ribs continue to push the spokes to flexurally deform the spokes, the second ends of the ribs cross over the horizontal state so that the second ends are higher than the first ends of the ribs. And the runner is locked on the hub by the locking structure, and then the spokes are restored to the original shape to realize the unfolding and fixing of the folding canopy. Similarly, when the folding canopy needs to be folded, pull the runner downward to unlock the runner from the hub, and the runner is moved downwardly until the ribs are in a horizontal state, the spokes are slightly flexurally deformed, and only a small acting force applied to the runner can cause the second ends of the ribs to be lower than the first ends, thereby the collapse of the folding canopy is realized. The collapsing and unfolding manner of the folding canopy makes the necessary acting force applied on the runner smaller, and the collapsing and unfolding of the folding canopy is easy and convenient, as well as time-saving and labor-saving.

In one embodiment of the above-mentioned folding canopy, the locking structure comprises an insertion hole disposed on a lower end surface of the hub and along an axial direction of the hub, a mounting hole is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole and along a radial direction of the insertion hole, inside the mounting hole is disposed with a lock pin and a spring capable of causing the lock pin to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion hole, the runner has a pole capable of being plugged into and being connected with the insertion hole, a limit slot is formed on an outer surface of an upper end of the pole, and an upper end portion of the pole has a spherical frontal shape. When the folding canopy is unfolded, the runner is moved upwardly so that the pole is inserted into the insertion hole, and the upper end portion of the pole first pushes aside the lock pin so that the lock pin moves toward the inside of the mounting hole until the limit slot moves to a position opposite to the lock pin. The lock pin moves toward the insertion hole under the action of the spring and is caught in the limit slot, so that the runner is locked on the hub. At this point, under the flexural action of the spokes, the ribs cause the runner to have a tendency to move upward, thereby achieving the locking effect of the runner on the hub. When the folding canopy needs to be collapsed, pull the runner downward to cause the lock pin to withdraw from the limit slot, so that the runner and the hub are unlocked. The locking structure can further include having the mounting hole opened on the outer surface of the pole, the lock pin and the spring disposed in the mounting hole, and the limit slot disposed on the inner wall of the insertion hole.

Alternately, the upper end portion of the pole is fixed with the hub and the lower end portion of the pole has a limit slot, the insertion hole is disposed in the runner and along an axial direction of the runner, the mounting hole is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole and along a radial direction of the insertion hole, the mounting hole is disposed with a lock pin and a spring capable of causing the lock pin to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion hole. When the folding canopy is unfolded, the runner is moved upwardly so that the lower end portion of the pole is inserted into the insertion hole, and the lower end portion of the pole first pushes aside the lock pin so that the lock pin moves toward the inside of the mounting hole until the limit slot moves to a position opposite to the lock pin.

In one embodiment of the above-mentioned folding canopy, an upper end of the pillar is fixed with a first mount, and a second end of the second rod is hingedly connected on the corresponding first mount. The above structure facilitates the unfolding of the rods, and the pillars form a better supporting effect for the folding canopy.

In one embodiment of the above-mentioned folding canopy, each of the pillars is slidably connected with a second mount, the second mount is located below the first mount, a strut is disposed between the second mount and the second rod, a first end of the strut is hingedly connected on the second mount, and a second end of the strut is hingedly connected at a middle portion of the corresponding second rod. When the above structure is in a state in which the folding canopy is fully extended, the struts form a better support for the second rods, which enhances an overall structural strength of the folding canopy, and enhances the stability of the folding canopy when it is unfolded.

In one embodiment of the above-mentioned folding canopy, the pillars have four rectangularly configured folding units that are intermediately disposed between the two adjacent pillars respectively and each of the folding units is a parallelogram connecting rod structure, the two corners of a first end of the parallelogram connecting rod structure are hingedly connected on the first mount and the second mount of one of the pillars, and the two corners of a second end of the parallelogram connecting rod structure are hingedly connected on the first mount and the second mount of the adjacent pillar. When the folding canopy needs to be unfolded or collapsed, the parallelogram connecting rod structure drives the two adjacent pillars to be outwardly extended or inwardly collapsed, which provides a guiding effect for the unfolding or collapsing of the pillars to ensure that the folding canopy is unfolded or collapsed smoothly, and the above structure also enhances the stability of the overall structure of the folding canopy.

In one embodiment of the above-mentioned folding canopy, the parallelogram connecting rod structure comprises a first connecting bar, a second connecting bar, a third connecting bar, and a fourth connecting bar, a first end of the first connecting bar is hingedly connected on the first mount of one of the pillars, and a first end of the second connecting bar is hingedly connected on the second mount of the same pillar that the first connecting bar is hingedly connected with; a first end of the third connecting bar is hingedly connected on the first mount of another adjacent pillar, and a first end of the fourth connecting bar is hingedly connected on the second mount of the same pillar that the third connecting bar is hingedly connected with; a second end of the first connecting bar is hingedly connected with a second end of the third connecting bar, and a second end of the second connecting bar is hingedly connected with a second end of the fourth connecting bar. Through the parallelogram connecting rod structures, a distance between the two adjacent pillars is larger when the folding canopy is unfolded, which increases a volume of the folding canopy when it is unfolded.

Compared with the prior art, one embodiment of the folding canopy of the present invention has the following advantages: the collapsing and unfolding manner of the folding canopy makes the necessary acting force applied on the runner smaller, and the collapsing and unfolding of the folding canopy is easy and convenient, as well as time-saving and labor-saving.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective structural view of first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged structural view of A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged structural view of B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective structural view of a runner of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective structural view of a hub of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a section structural view of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a part section structural view of second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The technical solutions of the present invention are further described below with reference to the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanied drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

First Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, this embodiment of a folding canopy comprises a plurality of spokes 1, a hub 2, and a runner 3 located below the hub 2 and capable of being locked on the hub 2. The spoke 1 comprises a first rod 11, a second rod 12, and a joint 13 with a U-groove 131, an opening of the U-groove 131 faces upward, a first end of the first rod 11 is hingedly connected on the hub 2, and a second end of the first rod 11 and a first end of the second rod 12 are extended into the U-groove 131 of the joint 13 and hingedly connected with the joint 13. A plurality of ribs 4 in one-to-one correspondence with the first rods 11 are disposed on the runner 3, a second end of the rib 4 is hingedly connected on the runner 3 by the eccentric plates 33 arranged in parallel, the second end of the rib 4 is positioned between two eccentric plates 33 for reinforcing the structure and preventing the runner 3 from rotating and a first end of the rib 4 is hingedly connected at a middle portion of the corresponding first rod 11, and the spoke 1 has flexural elasticity. When the first rod 11 and the second rod 12 are rotated to the same linear position, the rib 4 is inclined and the second end of the rib 4 hingedly connected with the runner 3 faces downward.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment of the folding canopy further comprises a plurality of pillars 7 corresponding to the second rods 12 respectively, an upper end of the pillar 7 is fixed with a first mount 8, and a second end of the second rod 12 is hingedly connected on the corresponding first mount 8. Each of the pillars 7 is fixed with a second mount 9, the second mount 9 is located below the first mount 8, a strut 10 is disposed between the second mount 9 and the second rod 12, a first end of the strut 10 is hingedly connected on the second mount 9, and a second end of the strut 10 is hingedly connected at a middle portion of the corresponding second rod 12. In this embodiment, the pillars 7 have four rectangularly configured parallelogram connecting rod structures 71 that are disposed between the two adjacent pillars 7 respectively. The parallelogram connecting rod structure 71 comprises a first connecting bar 711, a second connecting bar 712, a third connecting bar 713, and a fourth connecting bar 714, a first end of the first connecting bar 711 is hingedly connected on the first mount 8 of one of the pillars 7, and a first end of the second connecting bar 712 is hingedly connected on the second mount 9 of the same pillar 7 that the first connecting bar 711 is hingedly connected with; a first end of the third connecting bar 713 is hingedly connected on the first mount 8 of another adjacent pillar 7, and a first end of the fourth connecting bar 714 is hingedly connected on the second mount 9 of the same pillar 7 that the third connecting bar 713 is hingedly connected with; a second end of the first connecting bar 711 is hingedly connected with a second end of the third connecting bar 713, and a second end of the second connecting bar 712 is hingedly connected with a second end of the fourth connecting bar 714.

As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, this embodiment of an insertion hole 21 is disposed on a lower end surface of the hub 2 and along an axial direction of the hub 2, a mounting hole 22 is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole 21 and along a radial direction of the insertion hole 21, inside the mounting hole 22 is disposed with a lock pin 5 and a spring 6 capable of causing the lock pin 5 to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion hole 21, the runner 3 has a pole 31 capable of being plugged into and being connected with the insertion hole 21, a limit slot 32 is formed on an outer surface of an upper end of the pole 31, and an upper end portion of the pole 31 has a spherical frontal shape.

When the folding canopy needs to be unfolded, one embodiment of the runner 3 is moved upward, during the upward movement of the runner 3, the first rod 11 and the second rod 12 are driven to rotate, and the hub 2 is driven to move upward and the pillars 7 are driven to move outward and parallel to each other, through the guide of the parallelogram connecting rod structures 71. When the first rod 11 and the second rod 12 are rotated to the same linear position, the hub 2 is moved to a highest point, and the spokes 1 are in a maximum unfolded state. At this point, the ribs 4 are inclined and the second end of the rib 4 is lower than the first end, the runner 3 is moved upwardly continuously to cause the ribs 4 in a horizontal state, the spokes 1 are slightly flexurally deformed in this state, and only a small acting force applied to the runner 3 can cause the second ends of the ribs 4 to be higher than the first ends. During the process of restoring the spokes 1 to the original shape, the runner 3 can be driven to move upward by flexural action through the ribs 4 so that the pole 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 21, until after the lock pin 5 is located in the limit slot 32, the runner 3 is locked on the hub 2 to realize the unfolding of the folding canopy. Under the flexural action of the spokes 1, the ribs 4 cause the runner 3 to have a tendency to move upward, thereby enhancing the locking effect of the runner 3 on the hub 2.

Second Embodiment

This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except the snap-on locking structure, as shown in FIG. 7. An upper end portion 311 of the pole 31 is fixed with the hub 2 and the lower end portion 312 of the pole 31 has a limit slot 32, the insertion hole 21 is disposed in the runner 3 and along an axial direction of the runner 3, the mounting hole 22 is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole 21 and along a radial direction of the insertion hole 21, the mounting hole 22 is disposed with a lock pin 5 and a spring 6 capable of causing the lock pin 5 to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion hole 21 and the lower end portion 312 of the pole 31 has a spherical frontal shape. When the folding canopy is unfolded, the runner 3 is moved upwardly so that the lower end portion 312 of the pole 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 21, and the lower end portion 312 of the pole 31 first pushes aside the lock pin 5 so that the lock pin 5 moves toward the inside of the mounting hole 22 until the limit slot 32 moves to a position opposite to the lock pin 5.

For protecting the pole 31, a fixing tube 14 is fixed with the bottom of the hub 2 and a sliding tube 15 is axially slidably coupled to the fixing tube 14, and a spring 16 is disposed between the upper end surface 121 of the sliding tube 15 and the hub 2, the pole 31 is arranged in the fixing tube 14 and sliding tube 15, the sliding tube 15 is capable of stretching out the fixing tube 14 to cover the limit slot 32 of the pole 31 under the force from the spring 16. When the pole 31 is plugged into and connected with the insertion hole 21, the sliding tube 15 returns back into the fixing tube 11 and abuts against the top surface of the runner 3. This structure can improve locking stability due to an preload between the pole 31 and the lock pin 5.

The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the scope of the present invention. Technical personnel skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described or replace them in a similar manner, without departing from the spirit of the present invention or beyond the scope defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCED PARTS

-   -   1 spoke     -   11 first rod     -   12 second rod     -   13 joint     -   131 U-groove     -   14 fixing tube     -   15 sliding tube     -   16 spring     -   2 hub     -   21 insertion hole     -   22 mounting hole     -   3 runner     -   31 pole     -   32 limit slot     -   33 eccentric plates     -   311 upper end portion     -   312 lower end portion     -   4 rib     -   5 lock pin     -   6 spring     -   7 pillar     -   8 first mount     -   9 second mount     -   10 strut     -   71 parallelogram connecting rod structure     -   711 first connecting bar     -   712 second connecting bar     -   713 third connecting bar     -   714 fourth connecting bar 

What is claimed is:
 1. A folding canopy comprising: at least three pillars; an intermediate folding unit, two adjacent pillars being connected by the intermediate folding unit to form a lateral supporting frame; a spoke, connected with an upper portion of each of the pillars being hingedly connected and an upper end of each of the spokes being converged toward a hub and hingedly connected with the hub to form a top supporting frame; a runner, disposed below the hub and capable of ascending upward and descending downward; ribs disposed between the runner and the spokes, the ribs being in equal number to the spokes, a first end of each of the ribs being hingedly connected with one of the spokes, a second end of each of the ribs being converged toward the runner and being hingedly connected with the runner; a locking structure disposed between the runner and the hub and capable of locking the runner on the hub; wherein the spoke has flexural elasticity and the spoke comprises a first rod, a second rod, and a joint with a U-groove, an opening of the U-groove faces upward, and a second end of the first rod and a first end of the second rod are disposed in the U-groove of the joint and are hingedly connected with the joint; and wherein the second end of the rib is higher than the first end of the rib when the runner is locked by the locking structure.
 2. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking structure comprises an insertion hole disposed on a lower end surface of the hub and along an axial direction of the hub, a mounting hole is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole and along a radial direction of the insertion hole, inside the mounting hole is disposed with a lock pin and a spring capable of causing the lock pin to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion hole, the runner has a pole capable of being plugged into and being connected with the insertion hole, a limit slot is formed on an outer surface of an upper end of the pole, and an upper end portion of the pole has a spherical frontal shape.
 3. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper end of the pillar is fixed with a first mount, and a second end of the second rod is hingedly connected on the corresponding first mount.
 4. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the pillars is slidably connected with a second mount, the second mount is located below the first mount, a strut is disposed between the second mount and the second rod, a first end of the strut is hingedly connected on the second mount, and a second end of the strut is hingedly connected at a middle portion of the corresponding second rod.
 5. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pillars have four rectangularly configured folding units that are intermediately disposed between the two adjacent pillars respectively and each of the folding units is a parallelogram connecting rod structure, two corners of a first end of the parallelogram connecting rod structure are hingedly connected on the first mount and the second mount of one of the pillars, and two corners of a second end of the parallelogram connecting rod structure are hingedly connected on the first mount and the second mount of the adjacent pillar.
 6. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 5, wherein the parallelogram connecting rod structure comprises a first connecting bar, a second connecting bar, a third connecting bar, and a fourth connecting bar, a first end of the first connecting bar is hingedly connected on the first mount of one of the pillars, and a first end of the second connecting bar is hingedly connected on the second mount of the same pillar that the first connecting bar is hingedly connected with; wherein a first end of the third connecting bar is hingedly connected on the first mount of another adjacent pillar, and a first end of the fourth connecting bar is hingedly connected on the second mount of the same pillar that the third connecting bar is hingedly connected with; and wherein a second end of the first connecting bar is hingedly connected with a second end of the third connecting bar, and a second end of the second connecting bar is hingedly connected with a second end of the fourth connecting bar.
 7. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 2, wherein an upper end of the pillar is fixed with a first mount, and a second end of the second rod is hingedly connected on the corresponding first mount.
 8. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the pillars is slidably connected with a second mount, the second mount is located below the first mount, a strut is disposed between the second mount and the second rod, a first end of the strut is hingedly connected on the second mount, and a second end of the strut is hingedly connected at a middle portion of the corresponding second rod.
 9. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second end of the rib is hingedly connected on the runner by the eccentric plates arranged in parallel, the second end of the rib is positioned between two eccentric plates.
 10. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pole is fixed with the hub and a lower end portion of the pole has a limit slot, an insertion hole is disposed in the runner and along an axial direction of the runner, a mounting hole is formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole and along a radial direction of the insertion hole, the mounting hole is disposed with a lock pin and a spring capable of causing the lock pin to always have a tendency to move toward the insertion.
 11. The folding canopy as claimed in claim 10, wherein a fixing tube is fixed with the hub, a sliding tube is axially slidably coupled to the fixing tube, and a spring is disposed between the sliding tube and the hub, the pole is arranged in the fixing tube and sliding tube and the sliding tube is capable of covering the lower end portion of the pole under a force from the spring. 